Study: Older Adults Underrepresented in Cholesterol Drug Trials

A study from Johns Hopkins University published in JAMA Network Open determined that the groups most vulnerable to heart disease — older adults and women — are underrepresented in randomized clinical trials for cholesterol-lowering drugs, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution . The researchers analyzed trends in the types of 485,409 individuals enrolled in 60 studies from 1990 to 2018, and the findings suggested that even recent trials do not accurately represent study populations. The portion of trial participants 65 or older rose from 32 percent from the early 1990s to 42 percent in the latest trials, but only a little more than 30 of the 60 trials reported findings for older adults. "We want to ensure that the types of patients who will be using these drugs are the ones included in the clinical trials, so that we can determine if these medications are safe and effective for the people who are prescribed them," said Professor Erin Michos at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "Although we did see an improvement over the years in representation of women and older adults, that progress was rather modest. Clearly more still needs to be done to shift the balance to represent our patient demographics."